The Lost and the Found
by crazeENnes
Summary: Their meeting was unprecedented as well as their parting. However their parting was not permanent becuase nothing is permanent except change. EngMano.
1. Chapter 1

**The Lost and the Found**

The storm was gathering at the off-shores of the beach and the people who were enjoying the seas retreated back to their houses for safety. Fishermen were heading back to the land, securing their boats. Amidst all the cautions, a lone man stood at the docks with blank eyes staring off at the distance.

After the fist drops hit the earth, the man sat down on the edge of the of the dock and allowed the sea to submerge his ankles. The man's face was fully wet in no time since the rain had unfailingly pelted the land; no place in the immediate vicinity was left dry.

There was water dripping on the cheeks of the man and he was unsure whether he was crying or it was the rain. With several locks covering his eyes, he looked up at the sky. Silently, he cursed or prayed; he did not know...

For minutes, he remained in his position. The man did not notice that there was a local approaching him.

"HEY! That's dangerous!" The local ran towards him.

The static man stared at him; dark lock were sprawled outside of his raincoat, his hazel eyes reflected different shades especially when lightning would flash.

"Are you sane? Why are you out in this weather?" The local yelled. "Come with me!"

The local dragged him without much effort since there was no resistance. For ten minutes both men walked under the treacherous weather. By the time that they had arrived at the house of the local, the other man immediately went to his bedroom and prepared dry clothes as well as towels.

The man had stood motionless at the doorstep until the local had offered him a towel and change of clothes.

"I- I'm Lovino Vargas by the way." The local said, finally introducing himself.

"A-Arthur. K-Kirkla-land..." The man said, his green eyes meeting hazel ones.

"Ah... Mm, nice to meet you Kirkland." Lovino said and he walked towards the kitchen to prepare something warm for them to drink.

"A-Arthur. Call me Arthur..." The man had called out. Lovino nodded and he proceeded with filling the kettle with water and heating it up.

For minutes there was only silence in the house since Arthur had proceeded to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and drying himself.

Once Arthur was finished, he walked towards the kitchen and had seen that Lovino had already prepared bread and warm drink on the dinning table.

"Have a seat." Lovino said after he had finished setting the table. "You can stay here until... Well..."

There was a long pause and Arthur waited for the continuation of the sentence but there never was. So the man had seated himself.

Quietly, they ate and drank; both had thoughts, thoughts they wanted to say but the right words to convey them were difficult to express.

"Just stay until you feel like it." Lovino finally said after he had finished drinking his warm chocolate.

"Thank you. Thank you for all this..." Arthur said with gratitude and he smiled at Lovino.

Lovino who was across Arthur, felt a tingling sensation inside him. He murmured a quiet _your welcome _and began to keep the dishes and mugs since Arthur had been finished as well.

Arthur was about to offer that he should be the one to wash the dishes but Lovino had shoved him off and said that he should wait by the living room.

At the living room, Arthur had noticed that there was an upright piano and he approached the instrument; slightly disappointed that it was closed he lightly ran his fingers on the cover. He then redirected his attention to the nearest bookcase and he was amazed that the entire shelf was filled with music sheets from famous musicians and Arthur assumes that there were personally written ones as well.

"Ah!" Lovino who had just arrived at the living area let out a surprised gasp.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... Be privy." Arthur looked at the floor while speaking. "I just got curious."

"D-Don't worry about it. I was just... Surprised." Lovino replies with pauses, looking for the right words.

An awkward silence arose between both of them. For some seconds both men had been rooted at their position.

"Uh."

"Um."

When they unintentionally stuttered together, a quiet giggle escaped Arthur's mouth; on the other hand, Lovino raised an eyebrow but he also gave in to the infectious laughter.

"Do you play the piano?" Arthur asked when they had relatively calmed down.

"No. My younger brother plays the piano." Lovino said, slightly quiet. "I- I make the music sheets a-and play the vi-violin."

Lovino's face was slightly red after he revealed what he was capable of.

"I- I'm not showing off or anything like that! I'm just telling you so that there will be no misconception!" Compared to earlier, Lovino's voice was loud, as if he was yelling.

Arthur did not take any offense and he just smiled and nodded. "Maybe we can have a duet sometime."

Lovino's eyes dilated and then, a small smile formed on his face since he knew that for once, someone really tried to understand him.

-o-o-o-

Three months have passed; Arthur was able to get a part-time job at the flower shop and also at the preschool.

During those past months, Arthur was able to find out more about Lovino. The man was of Italian descent, Arthur was able to deduce that much during their initial meeting; Lovino was very private about several topics but eventually he would open up; the man had very high alcohol tolerance level; since he had an extensive knowledge on music, he was a teacher at the primary school in this town and the next town. Occasionally, he accepted tutorial classes.

There were many things that Arthur had taken notice of, the little things about Lovino that is but he could not enumerate all of it.

A small smile appeared on Arthur's face.

"..."

-o-o-o-

The rain had been incessant for the past days and Lovino was sulking. Due to the rain, the man was unable to harvest the already ripe tomatoes in his garden. As a past time, Lovino tended a vegetable garden.

Recently, flowers had been added specifically roses into the garden. It was Arthur's idea to add flowers. This was before he got a job as a florist. Lovino had noticed the other man's expertise with the flowers and he recommended him to the shop owner who was searching for someone to help her.

For the past months, Lovino had allowed Arthur to live with him. Arthur was very proficient with household chores but he was forbidden in the kitchen. Lovino had trusted the Englishman to cook their meal one time but the food was bland, much to Lovino's dismay. Since that time, Lovino took the initiative to teach Arthur with adding the proper seasoning. Lately, his cooking has improved but Arthur was only allowed in the kitchen when Lovino was supervising him.

Lovino's mood lightened recalling the memory. Somehow, he always felt at ease with Arthur despite some occasional bickering. To Lovino, the man's presence was soothing.

Later that week, the rain had already stopped and Lovino was happily harvesting the tomatoes. Once he had finished harvesting, he decided to cook something with tomatoes for dinner. Lovino began opening the cupboards, searching for ingredients. To his dismay, what was left was not enough to make a meal for two.

Quietly, Lovino cursed himself and he made his way to his bedroom to retrieve his wallet.

The walk to the grocery store was short and Lovino was happy that the shop owner was not there. The shop owner was Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. Lovino did not hate the man but sometimes the attention that was given to him became cumbersome.

After paying for his groceries, Lovino returned back to the house. Along the way, Lovino saw Arthur who was bringing flowers that were yet to be arranged.

Lovino was thinking twice whether to call out Arthur or not. Lovino decided to not to since the house was already in sight.

Dinner was scrumptious, in Arthur's opinion. Lovino's cooking was always stellar but he knew that the man had a magic touch with his cooking.

Quiet days passed by between them. That was until one day a letter had arrived addressed for Arthur Kirkland. Quickly, he skimmed through the letter and he read it properly again.

_Arthur, it is urgent. You have to return home now. Please. You must heed this._

_- Francis Bonnefoy_

The seconds that ticked became a full minute until Arthur was able to react. The man took a deep breath and neatly folded the letter back to the envelope. '_Home, huh?_'

Later that same day, Arthur had told Lovino about the letter and that he needed to return to his place. Arthur did not disclose everything but he only said about the urgency.

"Lovino... I'm very thankful that-"

"-t's alright bastard." Lovino cut Arthur's speech. "If its very important, you have to go. Besides..."

'_We're not tied to one another._' Lovino did not say the end of his sentence.

"Ah, um. Truly thank you." Arthur said, with an earnest smile on his face. "I don't know how to repay you..."

"No need... I... I enjoyed your company Arthur." Lovino averted his eyes; his cheeks were turning red at what he had said.

Arthur was unsure how to reply; he was rooted on where he stood until he said, "I also had a great time with you Lovino. Maybe we can meet again..."

"Maybe we can..."

Lovino and Arthur shook each other's hand.

At that moment, both men had wished that they had spoken what was in their thoughts. However they did not.

Their meeting which was unprecedented, so was their parting. Nonetheless, it was not meant to be permanent. Nothing was permanent except change.

-o-o-o-

This is just an experiment; to kick out my writer's block and laziness. Hope you like it :)

If there are errors please point it out. Hahaha, I was writing this on my phone so I might have missed something :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Love, I Have Found You?**

The rain continued pouring, the pedestrians huddle under their umbrellas making sure that they would be dry until they had reached their destination.

Inwardly, Arthur was not pleased with the weather even if he was dry inside the confines of the taxi cab. Arthur Kirkland had returned to London at the bequest of Francis Bonnefoy.

The Bonnefoy and Kirkland families had close ties due to the families having several joint business ventures particularly with beverages.

The reason that Arthur was called back was that his older brother, the eldest, was going to get married. The man could only sigh when his mother had greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

Apparently, it was Francis' younger sister that his eldest brother were to marry. As much as Arthur wanted to be happy, he could not be since his trip was cut short. Arthur Kirkland had been working as a researcher for a university since he was not fond being confined inside the walls of a classroom; Arthur was a good teacher but he felt that teaching was not his calling.

The Briton had preferred going to different places. So, Arthur took up a profession as a researcher. It was due to the nature of his work that he was able to meet Lovino Vargas, a musician.

"I was becoming close to him... Yet..." Arthur murmured when he was already inside the confines of his bedroom.

Arthur Kirkland and Lovino Vargas had met during their university days. Arthur was a Literature major while Lovino was an Arts major. They had fleeting encounters inside and outside the campus but it was nothing significant.

The moment that Arthur's heart was captured was when Lovino had played a violin at the university's botanical garden.

Arthur was just strolling around the campus, whiling away the time for his next class. Arthur had then walked towards the botanical garden since at that time of the day, there were very few to no student at the area. Arthur had held his breath as he heard he melody. It was heartbreaking yet beautiful.

Arthur had wanted to approach the Italian but, when the melody had hit the last note, there was only five minutes left until the next class of Arthur. The man then walked at a fast pace so that he could arrive on time. A warm feeling spread inside Arthur.

However, college flew past and neither Arthur or Lovino had any encounters of great significance to allow them to know each other.

Arthur had almost forgotten about that moment in his life that he had heard the melody and the existence of Lovino Vargas.

Life moved on; both of them going into separate ways.

It was coincidence or some force at work that Arthur had decided to go to that particular town even if the setting of his research was at the next town. He had heard from the locals that the particular town had a very beautiful view of the sunset. However, the day that Arthur decided to go, there was a storm. The rest of what happened was something which Arthur will treasure.

Arthur traveled to different places; occasionally, he would write to Francis, at the other man's insistence just to make sure that Arthur would still keep in touch. But then he had to cut short his travel; right now he was in London, waiting for the date of his brother's wedding.

The rain's downpour increased and Arthur could only reminisce of the time that he had spent with Lovino.

'_I am acting like a lovesick schoolgirl..._' Arthur thought and he sat down on the floor of his bedroom. The man leaned his back at the side of his bed and he closed his eyes.

Several days later, the wedding had took place. The ceremony was inconsequential to Arthur. By the time of the reception, he was thankful that he could get away from the crowd. However, Francis had insisted to talk to Arthur.

"My little sister is quite beautiful, isn't she?" Francis said, taking a goblet from the waiter's tray.

"Yes, you're sister is quite the beauty. She is very blooming." Arthur replied, doing the same gesture as the Frenchman.

Francis smiled, taking a small sip from the drink on his hand. "How have you been?"

"Good, I guess. There's roof I can live under." Arthur said.

"Cynical as ever, monsieur." Francis laughed. "I heard that the pressure is on you to be the next wed man."

Arthur only rolled his eyes. All of his older brothers have been married. The first to get married was the second son, the third son, then as of now, the first son. Arthur was the youngest of four.

"As if." Arthur said, taking a sip from the drink.

"You can marry me, mon cher. Same-sex marriage is legal in several countries already." Francis grinned, at which Arthur only rolled his eyes.

There was a comfortable quietness around them. Although they tolerated each other through the worse and the worst, Francis and Arthur had also been through the good and better at each other's lives.

Music began to play at the background, indicating the beginning of the traditional dance between the bride and the groom. The reception area was at a garden, reminiscent of the time from the past. There were columns around the area which were covered in vines, the entrance had an arch adorned with flowers that emitted a wonderful scent.

Arthur turned his head to the center of the reception area and saw his older brother spinning his blooming bride. Arthur then darted his attention to the musical band; the man's emerald eyes dilated and he gasped in surprise.

"Lovino..." Arthur murmured. Quickly, the man placed his drink on the nearest table and went near the band, leaving a confused Francis.

When the musicians had ended their song, Arthur went near them and attempted to start a conversation with Lovino. To Arthur's dismay, he was turned down but Lovino said that they can talk later.

Arthur quietly walked away; the man then waited outside of the reception area, near the parking lot. He then searched his pockets and he found what he was looking for: a cigarette box.

"I thought you stopped..." A voice wary and heavy with accent spoke to the Briton.

"Old habits die hard." Arthur turned his head and saw Francis.

"I did not know you knew the violinist." Francis said, in a more neutral voice.

"He was a schoolmate during college." Arthur shrugged and then he released a small puff of smoke.

"Hm, the perks of studying at an international school?" Francis teased; the tension between both men had dissipated.

"Idiot." Arthur replied.

Arthur handed the Frenchman a cigar but Francis politely turned him down. "The stench will stick to the suit."

In a impulse, Arthur blew at Francis.

"B-Bastard!" Francis yelled with genuine anger.

Arthur gave a surprised look; Francis rarely cussed at Arthur. The Englishman only gave an apology. Francis just sighed and then said, "I have noticed that you have been in a foul mood since I came here. Did something happen? You can always tell big brother."

"No, nothing happened. I was just... Being whimsical and... I got bitten." Arthur took a long breath before he exhaled the smoke. The Briton then realized that his choice of words were rather odd but he dismissed it since Francis did not comment on it. By then, Arthur was almost finished with his cigar.

"Francis you have to return. I think your sister is looking for you." Arthur said glancing inside.

"Take care Arthur." Francis then saw his younger sister who was indeed looking for him.

Arthur was about to light his second cigar when someone had forcibly took it out from his fingers.

"Bastard!"

This time, Arthur was not surprised with the cussing. It was familiar and a little bit comforting. Arthur kept silent and he waited for the next statement.

"I, I did not expect that I would see you here." Lovino said, a little tired. "Your brother is quite demanding with the songs."

Arthur laughed a little. "Well he is very demanding with just about everything. He is from the army after all."

"Really?" Lovino said, a little surprised.

"So, I guess that you are finished with your job." Arthur said.

"Yes. I just finished." Lovino replied.

The way their conversation flowed was very formal. One question, one answer. There was no roundabout manner of speaking. Neither complained; Arthur then spoke, "Hey Lovino. Can I come and crash at your place again?"

Arthur did not know what had possessed him to say something as bold; even so, he could not take back what he had said. What is done is done.

"Hn, it is fine but Feliciano will be returning from his tour next month." The Italian said; his tone of voice was like they were old friends, meeting again after a long time. "If you can withstand my younger brother, then you're welcome at our house."

"Ah. Then, I guess I'll just rent a nearby house." Arthur replied jokingly. The Briton had not yet met the younger Vargas, so he had no idea what he was like and Lovino rarely talked about anyone in his family.

"Why?" Lovino asked suspiciously. "Why would you want to go to my place?"

"Because... I... Love your music." Arthur smiled and placed the cigars inside his pocket. "And your town, its very peaceful and near the sea."

Lovino laughed and to Arthur, perhaps, the Italian saw through his lie; half-lie. There was a deeper reason; it was that the Briton wanted to go to where Lovino was.

"I'll help you find a house. The rent near our place is quite affordable." Lovino said and the attention of the Italian was redirected when someone had called him. "Let's talk again later."

Arthur was once again left to himself. He waited silently, watching his surroundings. At this point, it was good that he and Lovino had met again. A smile appeared on the face of Arthur.

Several weeks later, Arthur Kirkland had told his family that he had to resume his research. "The university wants me to hand in my draft by next week and I have not yet finished."

Mrs. Kirkland was a little sad that his youngest son would not be staying much longer in their house. Mr. Kirkland was quite understanding about the matter, though the patriarch had said that Arthur should visit them more often.

"I will try my best." Arthur said politely.

Arthur's trip to the airport and then to the town where he was collecting data at was in comfortable silence; disregarding the background noises of everyday noises.

The town where Arthur was going to be studying at was the one next to where Lovino was living at. Arthur did not yet tell the Italian that he would be there; Arthur would go to Lovino once he was done with his research.

Faintly, a music played at the background. The lyrics were stuck in Arthur's mind when the song had finished.

_Some people just search for the whole world over_

_Just to find love, that's eve half as true_

_As the love I've found in you._

Arthur moved those thoughts away since... Since they were just good acquaintances or perhaps they were already friends. The Briton did not want to put much thought into it. A sigh escaped the man's lips and he continued to where he was destined to go.

-o-o-o-

Whew. Well. This. Had a life on its own. LOL! Anyway, I think that I'll just continue this into something like a multi-chapter of the sorts. Though, they're more like dabbles. Anyway, I hope you like this.

(If by chance you are wondering how often this will be updated, it will be sporadic. In between my writing of my unfinished fanfics, just to kick me out from my laziness. And it's forever complete because each chapter can be read separately even if it seems connected.)


	3. Chapter 3

**The Conflicted Feelings**

Lovino Vargas sighed. It had been a year since he had met Arthur Kirkland. Hazel eyes stared at the empty space in front. Lately, he did not know what he was doing.

Lovino knew who Arthur Kirkland was. They went to the same university, belonged to the same department, occasionally met each other and gave curt greetings but that was all there was to it during their university days.

The Italian did not expect that he would once again meet the man under unusual circumstances. Without much hesitation he had brought Arthur Kirkland under his roof and for some time, they lived together.

When they had parted, something inside Lovino was in pain. It was not physiological but something psychological; the Italian could not find the proper word to describe what he was feeling but it was unpleasant to say in the least. He was sure that he did not want to repeat the same experience again.

Life moved on for Lovino; aside from his regular jobs, the musician often played for special occasions. It was due to it that Lovino had encountered once more Arthur Kirkland. The Italian was beginning to doubt that the universe was perhaps conspiring at him out of the billions of human beings. The man only sighed. A long sigh that could be interpreted as resignation or contentment.

When Lovino and Arthur had reunited, a sense of warmth filled inside the Italian. At that time, Lovino had started to accept Arthur as a person worth of friendship, of trust. Normally, he would never accept anyone, _just anyone_, into his life. Somehow, Arthur was able to become a part, was able to leave a significant mark in him. Lovino felt confusion dwell inside of him. This was a first that has happened to him.

Another sigh escaped his lips. The contemplation about his life was something that he was not accustomed with. The thoughts that were plaguing the Italian were then shrugged off as he saw the person who was the cause of his internal conflict: Arthur Kirkland.

"Sorry for the wait chap. I didn't expect the bus would be held by the traffic congestion." Arthur's accented voice made Lovino's stomach hollow. It had been quite some time since the Italian last heard that voice.

"Ah, no worries." Lovino immediately replied and mentally kicked himself for his thoughts going awry.

Lovino then lead Arthur to where he had parked his car. The trip to the Italian's house was quiet; Lovino noticed that Arthur's face was filled with tiredness and his eyes had dark circles beneath.

'_He lacks sleep..._' Lovino noted and continued to drive until they had reached his place. '_Whatever, it's none of my business…_'

The day had passed. Arthur Kirkland stayed at Lovino's house, due to the Italian's subtle but pervasive insistence. _"Bastard, it's tiresome to travel. Just stay for the night. We can check the place out tomorrow."_

As was said, immediately after breakfast both men had set out to the neighboring town. Compared to the place of Lovino Vargas, it did not pale. The place was just a breathtaking as the previous town and there were more inhabitants there.

"I," The Briton gulped. "I don't know what to say."

Lovino just rolled his eyes as he watched the blond man staring at the sceneries which the car had passed by. In the eyes of the Italian, Arthur looked like a child. It was presumptuous to think that way but it just was. The car had then slowed down by the residential district. There was not much to say about the place since most houses were heavily gated and the walls were high. After some minutes, the car took a sharp turn and at the end of the street was a single house with a wide open space.

"I, you… you like planting roses so much. So I thought that this place might suit your tastes." Lovino parked the car to sidewalk and immediately went outside avoiding any form of contact towards the Briton.

"Thank you, it looks wonderful." Arthur said when he had walked outside of the car and he went near the house.

"The previous owner was a… friend of sorts. He told me that he would be renting out the place." Lovino explained and he trailed behind the Briton who was walking around the perimeter. By the time the blond man had finished the short excursion, his eyes were beaming.

"I love this place. It's perfect. When can I see the interior?" Arthur asked.

"I can contact him right now but I think he is only available during weekends." Lovino shrugged.

"That's fine. No rush." Arthur smiled a little bit, unnoticeable to the untrained eye. But to Lovino, who close in proximity, was able to see the small gesture of the lips turning slightly upward.

"I'll be in your care until then?" The Briton continued.

"Ah! Whatever, bastard!" The Italian glared towards a far-off distance.

For the following days, Lovino Vargas and Arthur Kirkland were staying together. Since Lovino had to work, the house was usually quiet during the days. However by afternoon until late evening, the house was filled with conversations, tirades about anything and everything. It was a routine that Lovino was falling into; it didn't bother him the least. And it was dangerous.

When he spent time together with Arthur Kirkland, there were always mixed emotions within him. The conflicted feelings were battling inside his psyche. Yet, even if it bothered him, he took the liberty to bear it and hide it deep, deep, down. For the sake of enjoying one another's company.

o-o-o

A/N: Well, I just had to finish this part. Hope you liked it. If you did, please drop a review. Or if you hated it, please state why. :P


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